Cinderella vs. the Fairy Godmother (sequel)

Chapter 39

            “So what’d I miss?” Valerie asked, watching Darren stretch out on the grass beside her.

            He sighed as he dropped his head into her lap. “We’re fairly certain that someone is trying to destroy Taylany. Yesterday a whirlwind blasted through their west lands, destroying a lot of crops. Queen Damaria is frantic. We’re sending what aid we can but…” He sighed again.

She frowned as she looked down at where his black hair spread out across the bronze of her dress. “Why would anyone want to destroy an entire country?”

“Lots of reasons,” he replied, shifting so one of the patches of sunlight coming through the leaves of the tree overhead hit his cheek instead of his eye. “Maybe they’re softening them up for invasion, or they’re getting revenge, or they just hate the country or its leaders. The reason isn’t important. It’s what we’re going to do about it that matters.”

“So what’d the council decide? Please tell me it wasn’t one of Lord Whiteshores’ ‘screw them all’ ideas.”

Darren chuckled, tilting his head back so he could see her face better. “No, Lord Whiteshores didn’t have much to say on the matter. Lord Pineheights was quite vocal about protecting our people first but my father pointed out, rightly, that if it is an invasion attempt, they’re not likely to pay attention to borders. We’re sending some surplus supplies and building up our reserve troops where we can. We’re sending the equipment and funds for the local militias to hire and train more members. If the worst happens and we end up in a war, we’ll have more soldiers. If things are safe, the militias will have the men to take care of any local issues like bandits. It’s a win-win situation. Not that all the councillors saw it that way.”

She snorted, then pitched her voice low and wavering, “Give them weapons and teach them to fight? What is to stop those people from attacking their lords? Your majesty, I beg you to reconsider. The commoners cannot be trusted.”

His laughter was shocked out of him. He shook his head, “That was disturbingly close to what Lord Pineheights did say. Where did you learn to mimic like that?”

Valerie smiled down at him. “I used to run half wild as a kid. I used to imitate birds and stuff and just sort of naturally progressed to people. I used to sneak up on my friends and screech at them like their moms or our teachers. It was a lot of fun.”

He grinned up at her. “You are a marvel. And I take it from your dress that the fittings went well? You look beautiful by the way.”

She flushed a bit but answered anyway. “Yeah they went well. After spending an hour being poked and occasionally stabbed with pins, I decided I’d try out one of the dresses. This one has attached pants and a tear away skirt so in a fight I don’t have to worry.” She fingered the black embroidery around the waist as she spoke, focusing on the delicate flower and vine design rather than the prince.

He noticed and his lips spread wider. He caught her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her fingertips as he held her eyes. He was rewarded by a darkening of the pink stain on her cheeks.

She snatched her hand back and gave him a severe look. “Enough of that. And I don’t remember agreeing to let you use my lap as a pillow.”

“You didn’t say anything so I took that as agreement. If it bothers you…”

“Yes it does. Move.”

He sat upright, smiling at her. Something about the edges of his smile made her lean farther back against the tree but it wasn’t enough. He shot his arms out and caught her around the waist and shoulder. Before she could do more than stiffen, he spun her around, back and down, so that he had taken her place against the tree and her head was in his lap. “There we are. Much better, don’t you think?”

She blinked several times before glaring up at him. “I should hit you.”

“But you’re too comfy right? You should take the time to relax for a bit. No one’s around to see. Even Erramun and Isaac have moved off into the trees.”

She turned her head and saw that he was telling the truth. Their bodyguards had faded back into the trees surrounding the eastern edge of the grassy circle. Only the wind touched the grass surrounding the spreading maple that Darren was leaning against. She could hear the faint gurgle of the water garden behind them but heard no voices. “If anyone comes…”

“No one comes here. Well except during spring and then only for the flowers that grow here. There are cooler spots in summer, there are trees with nuts and fruit in autumn and in winter there’s too much snow. You really are too self-conscious.”

Her glare returned. “People talk about me enough as it is. The last thing I want them to think is that I’m as silly or as delicate as one of those fluttery ladies.”

Darren sighed and laid a hand against her cheek. “People always talk. But it doesn’t make what they say true. Don’t worry about the rumours and live as you want.”

She leaned into his hand and met his eyes. “I can’t. I can’t stand the thought of being forced into the mold of a ‘lady’. I don’t mind learning the manners and the etiquette and sometimes I’ll use them. But letting people think that that’s how I am…it means they won’t take me seriously Darren. I need to be taken seriously.”

He considered it for a few minutes, stroking her cheek with his thumb as he thought. She watched him but said nothing. Finally he nodded. “You’re right. There are few lords who will take the ladies seriously. They listen to you but part of that is that you dress more as a man would, in their view, than as a woman. Given time they might change their minds but now…”

She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and let a small smile cross her face. “I told you pants were a good idea.”

Darren laughed at that. “So you did. I stand corrected. Or rather, I sit corrected.”

She rolled her eyes. “That was terrible.”

                    He grinned and leaned down to kiss her.